Mechanical wheel casino game of chance having a free-motion internal indicator and method therefor

1. A method of operating a casino game of chance, the casino game of chance having a mechanical wheel oriented in a vertical direction, said mechanical wheel divided into a plurality of segments with each segment having an award value, the method comprising:

spinning the mechanical wheel under control of a processor;

freely moving a ball within a housing of the mechanical wheel in response to spinning;

randomly selecting one set of possible outcome sets from a plurality of sets;

stopping spin of the mechanical wheel, under control of the processor, at said randomly selected one set at the bottom of the vertically oriented mechanical wheel;

randomly landing the freely moving ball in one possible outcome segment in the randomly placed one set of possible outcome segments as the mechanical wheel stops, the possible outcome segments in the randomly placed one set uniformly disposed upwardly from the bottom of the stopped vertically oriented mechanical wheel;

sensing, under control of the processor, the one possible outcome segment the ball landed in;

awarding a payout, under control of the processor, based on the award value of the one sensed possible outcome segment the ball landed in;

the award values of each set of the plurality of sets of possible outcome segments having a range of player expected values so that the casino game of chance has an overall range of player expected values for all play of the casino game.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the range of player expected values for at least one set of possible outcomes is different from the range of player expected values for another set of possible outcomes in the plurality of sets.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of possible outcome segments in each set of the plurality of sets is an odd number.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein stopping comprises:

randomly placing a center possible outcome segment in each aforesaid set at the bottom of the mechanical wheel so that an even number of remaining possible outcome segments are on either side of the center possible outcome segment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of possible outcome segments in each set of the plurality of sets is an even number.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein stopping comprises:

randomly placing a pin, located between the two center possible outcome segments in each aforesaid set, at the bottom of the mechanical wheel so that an even number of possible outcome segments are on either side of the pin.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ball has a diameter, the mechanical wheel has a radius and an outer periphery and wherein landing comprises:

using the center of gravity of the ball to seat the ball between adjacent pins on either side of the one possible outcome segment that the ball randomly landed in, the adjacent pins located near the outer periphery of the mechanical wheel; the diameter of the ball, the radius of the mechanical wheel and the number of segments in the plurality of segments at least determining whether the ball seats between the adjacent pins.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of spinning comprises:

rotating the wheel with a motor connected to the mechanical wheel under control of the processor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein rotating the wheel comprises:

stepping the motor under control of the processor to randomly place the set of possible outcome segments at the bottom of the mechanical wheel.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

releasing the wheel in response to randomly landing the freely moving ball to position the landed ball at the bottom of the mechanical wheel.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

periodically testing, under control of the processor, the casino game of chance for mechanical bias;

automatically tracking payouts from the casino game of chance over a set number of operations in response to the periodical testing;

comparing the number of tracked payouts with expected player values;

raising an alert signal when the set number of tracked player payouts vary from the expected player values by a predetermined statistical amount so as to indicate the existence of mechanical bias in the play of the casino game of chance.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing comprises:

detecting the presence of the landed ball with an optical sensor.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing comprises:

detecting the presence of the landed ball with a radio frequency identification sensor.

14. A method of operating a casino game of chance, the casino game of chance having a mechanical wheel, with a radius and an outer periphery, said mechanical wheel divided into a plurality of segments with each segment having an award value, the method comprising:

spinning the mechanical wheel under control of a processor;

freely moving a ball within a housing of the mechanical wheel in response to spinning;

randomly selecting one set of possible outcome sets from a plurality of sets;

stopping spin of the mechanical wheel under control of the processor, at said randomly selected one set at the bottom of the mechanical wheel;

using the center of gravity of the ball to land the freely moving ball between adjacent pins on either side of one possible outcome segment in the randomly placed set as the mechanical wheel stops, the ball having a diameter, the adjacent pins located near the outer periphery of the mechanical wheel, the adjacent pins having a chord distance therebetween, the diameter of the ball and the chord distance between the adjacent pins at least determining whether the ball lands between the adjacent pins, the possible outcome segments in the randomly placed one set uniformly disposed at the bottom of the stopped mechanical wheel;

sensing, under control of the processor, the one possible outcome segment the ball landed in;

awarding a payout, under control of the processor, based on the award value of the one sensed possible outcome segment the ball landed in.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

the award values of each set of the plurality of sets of possible outcome segments having a range of player expected values so that the casino game of chance has an overall range of player expected values for all play of the casino game, wherein the range of player expected values for at least one set of possible outcomes is different from the range of player expected values for another set of possible outcomes in the plurality of sets.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the range of player expected values for at least one set of possible outcomes is different from the range of player expected values for another set of possible outcomes in the plurality of sets.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the number of possible outcome segments in each set of the plurality of sets is an odd number.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein stopping comprises:

randomly placing a center possible outcome segment in each aforesaid set at the bottom of the mechanical wheel so that an even number of remaining possible outcome segments are on either side of the center possible outcome segment.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the number of possible outcome segments in each set of the plurality of sets is an even number.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein stopping comprises:

randomly placing a pin, located between the two center possible outcome segments in each aforesaid set, at the bottom of the mechanical wheel so that an even number of possible outcome segments are on either side of the line.

21. A method of operating a casino game of chance, the casino game of chance having a mechanical wheel, said mechanical wheel divided into a plurality of segments with each segment having an award value, the method comprising:

spinning the mechanical wheel under control of a processor;

freely moving a ball within a housing of the mechanical wheel in response to spinning;

randomly selecting one set of possible outcome sets from a plurality of sets;

slowing the spin of the mechanical wheel under control of the processor to randomly place said randomly selected one set near the bottom of the mechanical wheel;

releasing the mechanical wheel from control of the processor in response to the slowing spin as the randomly placed one set approaches the bottom;

randomly landing the freely moving ball in one possible outcome segment of the one set;

sensing, under control of the processor, the one possible outcome segment the ball landed in when the one possible segment stops at the bottom of the mechanical wheel;

awarding a payout, under control of the processor, based on the award value of the one sensed possible outcome segment the ball landed in.

22. A method of operating a casino game of chance, the casino game of chance having a mechanical wheel, said mechanical wheel divided into a plurality of segments with each segment having an award value, the method comprising:

spinning the mechanical wheel under control of a processor at a constant rate for a predetermined number of revolutions;

freely moving a ball within a housing of the mechanical wheel in response to spinning;

releasing the mechanical wheel from control of the processor when the predetermined number of revolutions have occurred;

randomly landing the freely moving ball in one of the plurality of segments;

sensing, under control of the processor, the one segment the ball landed in when the one segment stops at the bottom of the mechanical wheel;

awarding a payout, under control of the processor, based on the award value of the one sensed segment the ball landed in;

automatically tracking payouts from the casino game of chance over a set number of operations of the casino game of chance;

comparing the set number of tracked payouts with expected player values for the set number of operations;

raising an alert signal when the set number of tracked player payouts vary from the expected player values by a predetermined statistical amount so as to indicate the existence of mechanical bias in the play of the casino game of chance.